Uttar Pradesh is coming out of caste & religion centric politics

By Daya Sagar
Yogi Adityanath has been sworn in as 21st Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The Yogi’s election as UP Legislative party leader by BJP and allies on Saturday had not only shattered the ‘breaking news’ claims of a number of media channels but the action also appeared more disturbing for some ‘experts’ than it could be even for Sonia Gandhi, AkhileshYadav or Mayawati. Some electronic channels instead of looking some possible good in coming times immediately started discussions on the religion and caste based social indicators. Questions were even asked why did not BJP select candidates for fighting elections based on caste and religion since very less Yadav candidates were there and rather there was no BJP Muslim candidate fielded. It was so surprising and has been so disappointing that some anchors of “leading” media channels are questioning the BJP readership that why the seats were not distributed on caste basis and the BJP leadership clarifying that the party does not believe in the politics based on caste / religion and instead believes in the suitability of candidate is not being sportingly received by some. Such questions were attempted on Yogi Aditya Nath as well by the “analysts” who are finding it difficult to conduct debates / discussions without caste / religion parameters on the agenda.
The way UP results have gone do hint that the people of state are getting fed up at least with the caste based politics as well as with those who have been over last 15 years ( after the year 2002 ) all along accusing Narendra Modi/ BJP of being against the Muslims and labeling him as a promoter of only Hindu. It appears that such like anti Hindu vote bank game plans have slowly and slowly been irritating even the “caste vote banks” from amongst the Hindu community targeted by INC/SP/BSP resulting in their shedding the caste tags ‘pasted’ on the non- Muslim population of UP there by voting for intellectual and socio- economic development. It appeared that not only the political leadership in UP has got infected with abusive designs based on divide and rule game plans but also many in media all these years have drawn more of pleasures from the socio-communal disintegration ‘moral’ in what the polity in India has been living all these years after attaining independence. The religious minorities and the socially & educationally ‘depressed’ classes may be slowly and slowly understanding that those who have been boasting of commitment towards their welfare have instead pushed them in more of isolation and in an environment full or only ‘rivals’. Surely there lie some good messages worth seeing some possible good in times ahead in the UP election results, in BJP leadership getting Yogi Adityanath elected as the leader of the legislative party and inviting Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav to sit with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Aditya Nath on the dais during the swearing in ceremony on 19th March
Some electronic channels were talking less of any good indicators but they were more attempting to classify the ministers taking oath as Brahmins, Rajputs, Dalits, Agarwal, OBC , Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and ‘woman’. All this clearly shows how bad is the political environment in India and how tough is the task ahead for BJP leadership even if it has truthfully fair intentions. Rather it would have been wise for the analysts to see some seriousness in Yogi Adityanath Government having two Deputy Chief Ministers with CM in Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya to make good the loss suffered in development of a state having 75 Districts and population around app 22 Cr ( 2017 ) instead seeing them as Rajput/Brahmin/ and like.
Why cannot “we” think of a welfare commission for religious minorities headed by a chairman belonging to a religious majority community? Why cannot we think of a non- backward class person heading the board appointed for the welfare of backward classes? Are the like of questions that need be deliberated in case India really cares for the subjects of a State larger than even Pakistan that has been suffering all round exploitation socio-economic backwardness inspite of having given 8 Prime Ministers and one UPA Chairperson to India who held the reigns for 21072 days (nearly 58 years) prior to May 2014.
A state that has 80 MPs (before Uttrakhand was carved out from UP the state had 85 MPs ) could have NSDP capita 2013-14 (at current prices) of just Rs.36,250.00 as against national per capita NSDP of Rs.74380.00. . Even Uttarakhand that was carved out of UP around 2000 AD had per capita NSDP of Rs.10,3716.00, nearly three times that of UP. Even Chattisgarh hadNSDP capita 2013-14 ( at current prices Rs.58,547 more than UP. J&K is another state with NSDP capita 2013-14 (at current prices) as Rs. 59,279 that has all these years exploited in the name religion and region.
March 11th election results appear giving hopes that may be Uttar Pradesh is coming out of Caste & Religion centric politics, nobody should be allowed to stall the process, may be this way BJP’s “sab kasaath sab kavikas” agenda too will be tested to some extent by the time India goes to 2019 polls with UP as test model.BJP ‘s “Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patr” is surely be on text.
(Daya Sagar Sr Journalist & Social Activist.can be reached at dayasagr45)